Reversing-valve for engines.



Patented Nov. I4, |899.

A. H AFEBKAMP. REVERSING VALVE FUR ENGINES.

(Applcltinn lud Sept. 7, 1899.)

(No Ilodgl.)

TH: MORRIS PETERS no4, PHcTo-Lrma. wAsHmomN, DA c.

ALOYS HAFERKAMP, OF DUISBURG,

PATENT OFFICE.

GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE DUIS- BURGER MASOHINENBAU-AOTIEN-GESELLSCHAFT, VORMALS BEOHEM &

KEETMAN, OF SAME PLACE.

REVERSING-VALVE FOR ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.`637,111, dated November 14, 1899.

Application filed September 7, 1899. Serial No. 729,720. (No model.)

.To all whom t may con-cern:

Be it known that I, ALoYs HAEERKAMP, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Duisburg, in the Kingdom of Prussia, E1npire of Germany, have invented a new and useful Reversing-Valve for Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The usual manner of regulating the speed and work of reversing rolling-mill engines, especially of the larger sizes, is as yet imperfect. These engines bein required to start at any moment, whether under full load or without any load and in whatever position the cranks may be, the reversing-gear is always in either direction so placed that the steam is fully admitted and not allowed to expand in any considerable degree, while the work of the engine is regulated by opening more or less the steam-inlet valve, whereby the steam is throttled in a corresponding degree. This method of regulating the speed and work of the reversing rolling-mill engine is, however, very disadvantageous, since the high-pressure steam cannot be utilized as much as possible by allowing it to expand; further, there will be considerable losses of power owing to the steam cooling down and for other reasons which need not be mentioned here. One might think that the steaminlet valve should be left Wide open and that the speed and work of the engine should be regulated by varying the position of the reversing distributing-gear. In practice, however, it is found that this is not possible, since the heavy parts of the reversing-valve gear require to be controlled mechanically, which renders it impossible for the engineer to put the engine in and out of motion with the necessary exactness and quickness, as it is especially required for rolling-mills.

My invention relates to improvementsin reversing-valves for rolling-mill engines wherein a sliding valve withAllans or Tricks channel is employed; and the objects of my improvements are, rst, to provide a second set of steam-'ports in the valve box or cylinder besides the usual or rst one in such a manner that the irst iset of steam-ports serves for admitting the hi gli-pressure steam to the cylinder when the engine is running as usual,either under a load or under no load, while the second set of steam-ports serves for admitting the steam to the cylinder on reversing the engine should the cranks be in an unfavorable position, and, second, to provide means for changing the position of the sliding valve to Work with either the first or the second set of steam-ports in the valve box or cylinder. I attain these objects by the mschanisrn illustrated iu' the accompanying drawings, in which Figure lis a longitudinal section of the slidevalve and the valve-box. Fig. 2 is a view of a part of the internal face of the valve-box shell B and of the one end of the piston-like sliding valve A shown in Fig. 1 at the top, the face being supposed to be developed into a plane and the pistou-valve being in a position to work with the second set of steamports in the valve-box shell; and Fig. 3 is a similar View of the valve-box shell B' and of the other end of the piston-like sliding valve A shown in Fig. l at the bottom, the valve being shown in a position to work With the first set of steam-ports in the valve-box shell.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The sliding valve A works with its two ends in the shells B B', provided in the cylindrical valve-box O. It is' shown in all the iigures as occupying its middle position with regard to its travel. During the travel of the sliding valve A the steam is admitted at 0l to the valve-box O and alternately through the channels e and e' to the steam-cylinder, while the exhaust-steam from the cylinder passes through the channels e and e, respectively, to the two ends of the valve-box C, whence it is conducted away through the passages f' and f.

The sliding vvalve A is provided with a longitudinal Allans or Tricks channel, which is formed by the cavity of the central part b and by the disk-like cavities at the ends terminating in the openings a ct and 0,' a', respectively. The piston ends of the valve A may be provided with packing-rings c c. The valvebox shells B and B are provided with two sets of steam-ports of unequal sizes. The first set comprises the steam-ports g g 7L hin the shell B and g g h h in the shell B', respectively. They are to register with the openings a a and d' d', respectively, of the sliding valve A when the latter is in its usual position. (Shown in Fig. The second set of steam-ports comprises the ports t' t 7D' 7s in the shell B and i' t" k k' in the shell B', respectively. They are to register with the openings ay a and a CU, respectively, of the sliding valve A when the latter is turned so far as to occupy the position shown in Fig 2. The ports 7c t and t/ 7c in the second set are longer than those t h and h 7L in the first set, as is shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, they reaching nearly to the openings a a and a a. of the sliding valve A when thelatteris in its middle position. The other ports 'i i and 1l t" in the second set have the samelength as the ports g g and g g in the first set. The steam-ports g g it' communicate with an annular space Z, formed by a recess in the valve-box G and the shell B, and the said space Z communicates with the steam-channel e to the steam-cylinder. In a similar manner the steam-ports g g z" t" communicate with the annular space Z and the latter with the steam-channel d.

lVhen the engine is running as usual, either under a load or under no load, the sliding valve A occupies the position shown in Fig. 3. Let us now suppose that it leavesits middle position shown and goes down. Then after a certain part a: of its travel the internal edge m' of the valve will commence to open the steam-ports g t g t" and allow the steam to pass through the channel e' to the cylinder. At the same time the steam-ports h 7i in the shell B will commence to communicate with the openings (t d of the valve, so that the steam from the valve-box will enter the disk-like cavity adjoining to the openings d a and pass through the valve part b and further through the openings a a to the channel e' and the cylinder. On the other hand, the valve A will have meanwhile opened the steam-ports g t' g z', so that the exhaust-steam is allowed to escape from the cylinder through the channel e, the said ports, and the outlet f. XVhen the piston-valve again goes upward, it will cut oii the steam before it reaches itsmiddleposition. (ShowninFigl.) Onits going farther up similar occurrences as before will take place, the live steam being admitted to the cylinder through the channel c andthe exhaust-steam escaping through the channel e to the outlet f.

The distance :c (shown in Figs. l and 3) is in the same manner as the lap in ordinary sliding Valves, so made as to cause the steam to expand in the required degree when the engine is ruiming under full load. Then the load on the engine is reduced, the engineer will so change the expansion-valve gear as to reduce the lling of the cylinder so much as will be suiiicient to keep the engine running with the usual or convenient speed. If, however, the engine is to be suddenly reversed,

it may be that at this moment the cranks will occupy such a position as to render the start of the engine in the other direction diicult or impossible. In this case the engineer need only cause the sliding valve A to be turned so much as to attain the position shown in Fig. 2. As an inspection of Figs. 2 and 3 will show, the distance through which the sliding valve A requires to be moved from its middle position before its edge'm or m opens the steam-ports g' t" f/ i or g i g t', respectively, will remain equal to as before. However, the distance required before the steam-ports 7c 7s or 7c 7c commence to communicate with the openings a a or a ct', respectively, is now reduced to fy, as is shown in Fig. 2. The consequence of this is that the steam will be admitted to the cylinder much earlier than before in a similar manner as ina non-expansive steam-engine, where the lap of the ordinary sliding valve is very small. Thus the engine is enabled to start at any moment in the other direction on reversing the valve-gear, no matter what position the cranks may occupy at this moment. The necessity of bringing the valve-gear into the position for full load, as usual when reversing the engine, is thereby saved. No losses of power through throttling the highpressure steam and through cooling the steam down are incurred. A considerable saving in power and coal consumption is made, as the steam is allowed to expand much more than usual, and as only the filling of the steam-cylinder is altered to regulate the speed and work of the engine the engineer will be enabled to put the engine in and out of motion in a perfectly easy and reliable manner.

The sliding valve A may be put in reciprocating motion from the engine in any approved manner.

It is immaterial what means are or what apparatus is employed for turning the sliding valve A from the usual position, in which its openings a d and d' d register with the rst set ofy steam-ports g g 7L h and g g h h', respectively, to the other position, in which the openings ay a and a u. register with the other set of steam-ports t' t' 7c 7o and t" t" 7c 7c', respectively, and vice versa. The sliding valve may be either turned through the entire angle from the usual position to the other position indicated, or it may be turned only through a part of the said angle, and vice versa.

The means employed for turning the sliding valve A may be independent of the reversing steering-gear or the reversing-lever, or they may be connected positively therewith in any convenient manner, so as to operate in unison with the same. Preferably these means may be so arranged as to automatically bring the sliding valve back into the usual position after a few strokes. Furthermore, the means or the apparatus may be so arranged as to allow of the turning of the sliding valve from the usual position to IOO IIO

sets of steam-ports arranged side by side, of.

a sliding valve arranged to work either with the one or with the other of said two sets of steam ports, means for reciprocating said sliding valve, and means for changing said sliding valve from the one set of steam-ports to the other and vice versa, substantially as set forth.

2. In areversing-valve for engines, the combination with a cylindrical valve-box having two distinct sets of steam ports arranged side by side and leading to the steam-cylinder, of a piston-like sliding valve mounted to turn in the valve-box and arranged to work either with the one or with the other of said two sets of steam-ports, means for reciprocating said valve, and means for changing said valve by turning, from the one set of Vsteam-ports to the other and vice versa, substantially as set forth.

3. In a reversing-valve for engines,the combination with a cylindrical valve-box having two distinct sets of steam-ports arranged side by side and leading to the steam-cylinder, of Y a sliding valve having two piston-like ends fitted to work inside said valve-box while the middle part of said sliding valve leaves a space to which the live steam is admitted and from which it is distributed, the said sliding valve being mounted to turn in the valve-box `and arranged to work either with the one or with the other of said two sets of steam-ports, means for reciprocating said sliding valve, and means for changing said sliding valve by turning, from the one set of steam-ports to the other and vice versa, substantially as set forth.

4. In a reversing-valve for engines,the combination with a cylindrical valve-box having a steam-inlet in the middle part, two steamoutlets at the ends and two distinct sets of steam-ports arranged side by side in the circumference and both communicating with two annular recesses and thereby with two channels leading to the cylinder, of a sliding valve having two piston-like ends fitted to work inside said valve-box, whilev the middle part of said sliding valve leaves an annular space to which the live steam is admitted and from which it is distributed, the said sliding valve being mounted to turn in the valve-box and arranged to work either with the one or with the other of said two sets of steam-ports,

, 5. In a reversing-valve for en gines,the combination with a sliding valve, of a valve-box having two distinct sets of steam-ports arranged side by side and leading to the steamcylinder, the one set of steam-ports being of such a size with reference to said sliding Valve, as to turn the engine into an expansive engine, while the other set of said steam-ports is of such a size, as to turn the engine into a noneXpansive engine, means for reciprocating said sliding valve, and means for changing said sliding valve from one position in which it Works with the one set of steam-ports to another position in which it works with the other set of steam-ports and vice versa, substantially as set forth.

6. In a reversing-valve for engines,the combination with a slide-valve mounted to turn, of a cylindrical valve-box having two distinct sets of steam-ports arranged side by side in the circumference and leading to the steamcylinder, the'one set of steam-ports being of such a size with reference to said sliding valve, as to turn the engine into an expansive engine, whilethe other set of said steam-ports is of such a size as to turn the engine into a non-expansive engine, means for reciprocating said sliding valve, and means for changing said piston-valve byturning from one position in which it works with the one set of steam-ports to another position in which it works with the other set of steam-ports and vice versa, substantially as set forth.

7. In a reversing-valve for engines,the combination with a cylindrical valve-box, of a sliding valve mounted to turn and having two piston-like ends fitted to work inside said valve-box, while the middle part of said sliding valve leaves a space, to which the live steam is admitted and from which it is distributed, the said cylindrical valve-box being provided with two distinct sets of steam-ports arranged side by side in the circumference and leading to the steam-cylinder, the one set of steam-ports being of such a size with reference to said sliding valve, as to turn the engine into an expansive engine, while the other set of said steam-ports is of such a size, as 'to turn the engine into a non-expansive engine, means for reciprocating said sliding Valve, and means for changing said sliding valve by turning from the one position in which it works with the one set of steam-ports to another position in which it works with the other set of steam-ports and vice versa, substantially as set forth.

8. In a reversing-valve for engines, the combination with a cylindrical valve-box having a steam-inletin the middle part and two steamoutlets at the ends, of a sliding valve mounted to turn and having two piston-like ends fitted to work inside said valve-box, while the middle part of said sliding valve leaves an annular space, to which the live steam is admitted and from which it is distributed, the said cylindrical valve-box being provided with two distinct sets of steam-ports arranged IOC- IIO

side by side in the circumference and leading to the steanrcylinder, the one set of steamports being of such a size with reference to said sliding valve, as to turn the engine into an expansive engine, while the other set of said steam-ports is of such a size as to turn the engine into a non-expansive engine, means for reciprocating said sliding valve, and means for changing said sliding valve by turning from one position in which it works with the one set of steam-ports to another position in which it Works with the other set of steamports and vice versa, substantially as set forth.

9. In a reversing-valve for engines, the combination with a cylindrical valve-box having a steam-inlet in the middle part, two steamoutlets at the ends and an ann nlar recess near each end and communicating with the steamchannel leading to the steam-cylinder end, of two cylindrical shells, each fitted inside said valve-box over one of said recesses, asliding valve mounted to turn and having two pistonlike ends fitted to work inside said cylindrical shells and each provided with a series of openings around the circumference and a middle part leaving an annular space in said valvebox to which the live steam is admitted and from which it is distributed, the said middle part of sliding valve having on the whole length a cavity serving as steam-passage and terminating in said openings in the pistonlike ends, the said cylindrical shells being each provided with a series of steam-ports in the circumference and of equal length, measured in the direction of the valve-box axis, and communicating with said annular recess, besides this with a second series of openings in the circumference Within said annular space for live steam and said openings alternating in their length and forming tWo distinct sets of steam-ports for live steam passing through the openings at the piston-like end of sliding valve and through the cavity of the latter to the openings at the other piston-like end to collect there with the live steam entering the annular recess and to pass to the steam-cylinder, means for reciprocating said sliding valve, and means for changing said sliding valve by turning from one position in which it works with the one set of steam-ports for the steam working expansively to another position in which it works with the other set of steam-ports for the steam Working noneXpansively and vice versa, substantially as set forth.

ALOYS HAFERKAMP. Vitnesses:

XVILLIAM EssENWEIN, GEO. P. PETTIT. 

